In a computer that has a graphical user interface, a window or a dialog box has plural objects such as buttons, text input fields. In such a case of the window or dialog box, a user can input data into or select only an object being focused. Therefore, unless the user recognizes what object is being focused at that time, the user cannot operate normally.
However, it is difficult to visually recognize what object is being focused, frequently. For example, the focus may be displayed by surrounding an area of the object by a dotted line. However, because the surrounding by the dotted line is not conspicuous, the user may not intuitively understand that the object is being focused.
Moreover, in a graphical user interface in which the focus can be moved between objects by a key operation such as a short-cut key, acceleration key, or tab operation (tab key or shift-key+tab key), the user frequently loses sight of the movement of the focus by the key operation.
For example, when order to move the focus between objects has no ordinarily, the user is apt to lose sight of the position of the focus. This situation frequently occurs when a creator of the program does not pay attention to the order to move the focus, or when the program is unintentionally modified, or the like.
Moreover, also in a screen in which the arrangement of the objects is not regular, it is difficult to predict the movement destination of the focus by the user's key operation, and the user is apt to lose sight of the position of the focus.
Thus, the movement of the focus between objects by the key operation has benefit that time and effort can be omitted for the user who is habituated to doing so. However, it also has a defect that the user who is not habituated to doing so cannot recognize a target object of the data input or selection, and confuses the target object.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 03-191411
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-176577
In other words, the conventional art cannot prevent the user from losing sight of the movement destination of the focus that moves between plural objects.